L A T E S T      N E W S

DA case: CBI to probe Mulayam, sons

New Delhi: In a setback for Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the CBI probe against the Samajwadi Party chief and his sons Akhilesh and Prateek Yadav in a disproportionate assets case would continue.

However, providing relief to the Yadav family the apex court dropped the case against Mulayam’s daughter-in-law and Akhilesh’s wife Dimple saying she was not a public servant when charges were made against her.

The SC said the CBI should independently probe the charges against the three and not report to the Centre on the case.

 “CBI is independent from the government and can continue with the probe as per the law,” a bench of Chief Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice H L Dattu said.

The court however directed the CBI to file status report in the DA case before it and to the government.

The SC verdict came on a plea by the Yadav family for review of its order for CBI probe against them for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets. 

TN N-plant to start functioning in Jan

Chennai: Controversy-embroiled Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project will once again miss the target as the time frame of commissioning of the first unit has now been revised to the new year.

Commercial operation of the 1,000 MW first unit, where 99.65 per cent of the physical progress has been completed, is expected to take place in January next, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) said.

Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy, who has been monitoring the progress of the Indo-Russian project, hit by protests over safety concerns,had informed Lok Sabha last week that Unit-I was likely to be commissioned by this month end.

Similarly, commercial operation of the second unit has also been fixed for August next year.

"Preparatory works are going on. Each and every step of ours is being monitored by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

Lifetime Grammy for Pt Ravi Shankar

Washington: Legendary sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar would receive the lifetime achievement Grammy award, organisers of the top music award announced today.

Shankar would receive the award posthumous on February 10 at the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, said the Recording Academy, which gives the prestigious Grammy Awards.

The sitar maestro, who popularised Indian classical music in the West and had a major influence on The Beatles' George Harrison and Yehudi Menuhin, died yesterday at the age of 92 after undergoing heart-valve replacement surgery at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California.

"As one of the world's most renowned sitar players, three-time Grammy winner Ravi Shankar is a true ambassador for international music," said a statement issued by the Recording Academy.